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What we celebrate in a year

Teaching children and allowing them to experience other religions and cultures is important in creating a diverse and understanding community. Which is why YMCA Early Learning Centres encourage children to explore other country’s cultures. In our Early Learning programs, children join in these experiences through food, art and music and develop positive connections with a variety of cultures. Sharing these celebrations creates an understanding in children that all families have their own traditions, beliefs and cultures and we should treat each other with respect and dignity.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Festival is a favourite of children enrolled in our Early Learning Centres. Our Educators offer unique activities like lantern making and dancing to special Chinese music. Craft activities are also popular during Chinese New Year and children experiment using different colour paints and recycled materials.

Easter

Easter celebrations involve more than chocolate and Easter-egg hunts at our ELCs! Children enjoy craft activities like making bunny hats and taking part in “healthy” Easter egg hunts (replacing chocolate with fruit!) as well learning about what Easter means to different religions.

Holi

Celebrating the Indian Festival of light and colours is a favourite time for children as activities involved lots of colour and creativity! Not only do activities during Holi feature making they are also activities about how to be kind to each other, as Holi is about kindness and good triumphing over evil.

Reconciliation Week

Learning about Australia’s Indigenous culture history and the varied and rich Australian culture begins from as young as two at our ELCs. During Reconciliation Week we pay respects to the Indigenous people of Australia and children learn about the traditional owners of the land and the how they lived. Cooking, music and sharing conversation around a fire is an activity children enjoy during this week and an opportunity for children to learn about Australia’s Indigenous culture.

Ramadan

Children celebrate Ramadan at our ELCs and learn more about what some of their peers celebrate at home. On this special day centre chefs cook traditional foods like shish kebabs and Lebanese spice bread and children enjoy sharing this occasion by helping prepare for Ramadan.

Diwali

We celebrate Diwali at our ELCs by practicing respect and learning about Hindu culture during this festival period. Children participate in Diwali through unique activities like painting and candle-making as well as eating celebratory food like spiced vegetables. By celebrating Diwali and any other important festivals which arise throughout the year enables children to feel valued, supported and respected.